TEA Partnership with ASOMOBI in Costa Rica

Each year, TEA’s 11th grade fall fieldwork takes them to Costa Rica. There, they collaborate with Asociación de Mujeres Organizadas de Biolley (ASOMOBI), a local woman-run non-governmental organization in the town of Biolley. The 11th graders worked with ASOMOBI to weed, clean drainage ditches, dry coffee beans, maintain communal spaces, and cultivate TEA’s lasting relationship with the organization. They learned what it meant to contribute to the local community in Biolley and how much work goes into the organization’s efforts.

“I think the appreciations we did at the end of the trip were the most meaningful,” 11th grader McKenna said. “We really connected to their culture, going around the table, and everyone was able to coherently read what they wrote and speak Spanish— and speak their language— to them and see how much it really mattered to the doñas of ASOMOBI… It was a great transition from appreciating everything we learned there, and being able to take it with us to a new place.”

Read about the 2024 trip to Costa Rica here.

Read about the 2023 trip to Costa Rica here.

7th Grader Organizes Fundraising Concert

On December 11, 7th grader Wynne brought together young Truckee musicians for an evening of music benefitting Noah Kahan’s Busyhead Project at Alibi Ale Works. The concert featured performances by TEA’s rock bands from 5th grade to high school, Split Rock Music Co., and Truckee High’s Cody Koch, drawing a full house.

“When I learned that Noah Kahan struggled with anxiety just like me, and then started a charity called The Busyhead Project that provides support and treatment, I immediately wanted to help,” said Wynne.

The event was made possible by Wynne, TEA’s Service Learning Coordinator Kathleen Ruffle, and TEA Rock Band Teacher David Zimmerman. The Truckee community came out in force and raised $3174 for The Busyhead Project, supporting its mission to raise awareness for mental health.

If you’d like to make a tax-deductible donation directly to the Busy Head Project, click here.

As TEA’s service learning coordinator, Kathleen works with teachers to incorporate work with nonprofits and small businesses into the curriculum, merging the classroom with the community. She strives to uncover what the community needs and how TEA can step in to fill those needs.

Kathleen has been working on growing TEA’s connections with potential partners our students can collaborate with. While this is just the beginning of TEA’s service learning program, she is looking forward to the growth of students and their relationships with local organizations from grade to grade. She hopes students will take advantage of her as a resource, take ownership of projects in the community, and develop confidence and empathy through service learning.

If you are interested in learning more or partnering with our school reach out to Kathleen Ruffle.